A. Material Safety Data Sheets

Chemical manufacturers or distributors perform an assessment of the physical and health
hazards of each chemical they produce. This information is included in a Material
Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and, in part, on container labels.

Material safety data sheets must be maintained and made readily accessible to laboratory
workers. A master library of MSDS's is available in the Science Stockroom (von Liebig
Center for Science, room 2117), and electronic copies are available on the P: drive
under VLlab and BAClab. Additional laboratory safety resources are available in the
Science Stockroom and from the Chemical Hygiene Officer.

B. Hazardous Chemicals

The following classifications shall be assigned when they are identified on the MSDS
or container label, or when substances meet the respective criteria in the OSHA Laboratory
Standard (29 CFR 1910.1450) or Hazard Communication Standard (CFR 1910.1200 Appendix A).

Contact hazards are substances which cause health effects via contact with skin or eyes and include:

Allergens

Irritants

Sensitizers

Corrosivity hazards are substances which destroy living tissue on contact and include:

Strong acids

Strong bases

Some oxidizers

Fire hazards are substances which give off vapors that can readily ignite and include both:

Flammables: those with a flash point < 100* F, and

Combustibles: those with flash points between 100 and 200* F

Reactivity hazards are substances which are chemically unstable, and include materials identified as
any of the following:

Reactive

Oxidizer

Unstable

Explosive

Dangerous when wet

Pyrophoric

Organic peroxide

Toxic hazards are substances which are hazardous to health when breathed, swallowed, or contact
the skin. In addition to materials specifically identified as toxic, substances with
unknown toxicological properties shall be assumed to be toxic.

C. Particularly Hazardous Substances

Particularly hazardous substances include select carcinogens, reproductive toxins and substances that have a high degree
of acute toxicity.

Select carcinogens include any substance that is included on any of the following
lists of carcinogens:

Annual Report on Carcinogens published by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), including all of the substances
listed as "known to be carcinogens" and some substances listed as "reasonably anticipated
to be carcinogens"

Reproductive toxins are chemicals that may affect the reproductive capabilities including
chromosomal damage (mutations) and effects on fetuses (teratogenesis).

High acute toxicity includes chemicals that fall within any of the following categories:

A chemical with a median lethal dose (LD50) of 50 mg or less per kg of body weight
when administered orally to certain test populations

A chemical with an LD50 of 200 mg or less per kg of body weight when administered
by continuous contact for 24 hours (or less if death occurs within 24 hours) to certain
test populations

A chemical with a median lethal concentration (LC50) in air of 200 parts per million
(ppm) by volume or less of gas or vapor, or 2 mg per liter or less of mist, fume,
or dust, when administered to certain test populations by continuous inhalation for
one hour, provided such concentration and/or condition are likely to be encountered
by humans when the chemical is used in any reasonably foreseeable manner.

Consult the product MSDS or the Chemical Hygiene Officer for assistance in determining
whether a substance is classified as particularly hazardous.